Review by Gary Tooze

Production:

Disc:

Video:

Audio:

• The Making of The Skin I Live In (12:34 in 1080P)
• An Evening with Pedro Almodóvar (1:14:33 in 1080P)
• On the Red Carpet: New York Premiere (2:40 in 1080P)
• The Skin I Live In Theatrical Trailer (2:08 in 1080P)
• BD-Live capable
• DVD

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Description: Dr. Robert Ledgard (Antonio Banderas) is a driven plastic surgeon haunted by personal tragedies. After many years of trial and error, he finally perfects a new skin – a shield which could have prevented the death of his wife in an accident years earlier. His latest “guinea pig” is a mysterious captive whose true identity masks a shocking mystery. The Skin I Live In is a masterful tale of secrets, obsession and revenge from Oscar-winning (Best Writing, Original Screenplay, Talk to Her, 2002) writer/director Pedro Almodovar.

***

Ever since his wife was burned in a car crash, Dr. Robert Ledgard, an eminent plastic surgeon, has been interested in... creating a new skin with which he could have saved her. After twelve years, he manages to cultivate a skin that is a real shield against every assault. In addition to years of study and experimentation, Robert needed three more things: no scruples, an accomplice and a human guinea pig. Scruples were never a problem. Marilia, the woman who looked after him from the day he was born, is his most faithful accomplice. And as for the human guinea pig...

 

 

The Film:

With a Pedro Almodovar film, we expect voluptuous sexual perversion, devious plot twists, a snaky interweaving of past and present, all painted on a canvas of bright colors with bold art and clothing. His latest film, "The Skin I Live In," does not disappoint. Though I usually take pleasure in Almodovar's sexy darkness, this film induces queasiness.

What it provides is a glossy, smooth, luxurious version of the sorts of unspeakable things that occupied classified classic horror films involving mad scientists, body parts, twisted revenge, personal captives and hidden revenge. Usually such films are stylistically elevated enough that there's an irony involved, a camp humor.

Excerpt from Roger Ebert at the Chicago Sun-Times located HERE

 

A brilliant but deranged plastic surgeon (Antonio Banderas) specialises in skin transplants. After his beautiful, mentally unstable daughter commits suicide, the surgeon vows revenge on the young man he holds responsible. The film boasts the most outrageous plot twist of any movie this year. It also contains the overboiled ingredients that lent such a strange taste to the Douglas Sirk melodramas of the 1950s that Almodóvar so admires: squabbling half-brothers, grief-stricken mothers, jealous fathers etc. What makes the film so unique is Almodóvar's approach toward his outlandish subject matter. It would be a mistake to describe his storytelling style as restrained. However, he directs in such deadpan fashion that you hardly notice how far-fetched the narrative really is. There is a fairy-tale element here too – a sense that in his own very perverse way, Almodóvar is revisiting the Beauty and the Beast myth. Banderas is the antithesis of the typical movie mad scientist: he's a soulful, introspective figure, more artist than monster. Elena Anaya is the woman he keeps locked away in his mansion in Toledo, moulding her so that she becomes more and more like his lost love. The film is ostensibly based on the novel Tarantula by Thierry Jonquet. However, Almodóvar, who usually writes his own screenplays, has utterly customised his source material. The result is one of his richest and strangest films.

Excerpt from The Independant located HERE

Image :    NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

Almodóvar makes beautiful films and The Skin That I Live In is no different. The Sony Blu-ray is quite crisp in close-ups - has a blue-bias and frequently exports impressive depth. It probably looked exactly like this theatrically.  This is a dual-layered rendering with a supportive bitrate and strong black levels. There isn't much texture but the visuals are not glossy. This Blu-ray has a consistent appearance that will supply a strong video presentation.

CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The original Spanish is available via a DTS-HD Master 5.1 at 3415 kbps. There is some violence and aggression that is exported well by the transfer. There is some pleasing subtly in the separation and depth is heard in Alberto Iglesias' wonderful original score. Dialogue is always clean and tight. There is a French DUB and optional English, English (SDH) and French subtitles. My Momitsu has identified it as being a region 'A'-locked.

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BOTTOM LINE:
Almodóvar makes the most interesting films. There are elements of ambiguity, perversion and personal bents that are presented in a antiseptic, less-voyeuristic, avenue. They are, all at once, intriguing, amusing and surprising. His signature-style is all over The Skin I Live In. The Blu-ray is a fine 1080P video and lossless audio presentation. Probably not a film that I would recommend to my 85-year old Mother - but most everyone else should give this a spin! 

Gary Tooze

February 29th, 2012